FINANCE – ROAD TO WEALTH!

Dividends Up and Dividends Down – What Are You Holding?

February 19, 2022February 18, 2022 by Road-to-wealth, posted in FINANCE / MONEY

As investors, we have to keep an eye out for our holdings. Everyone is happy when things are good, but when things go south, everyone runs for the hills. As long-term investors, we don’t worry about the fluctuations in the stock market, but we do need to be aware of fundamental changes.

Dividend increases are one of my favorite strategies (Dividend Growth Investing). But on the other hand, dividend cuts are one of the first red flags and early signs to show that a company may be in financial trouble.

Another red flags to consider are low amounts of cash available. Again, you can use Finviz to find the current and quick ratios. A metric of 1 or higher is usually a sign of enough money to cover expenses. However, that also depends on their debt.

Starbucks (SBUX) is Shaquille O’neal’s greatest regret for not investing early.

Debt to Equity and Long-term Debt to Equity is preferable under 1 to show a low debt. It is all dependable on the industries and sectors. Some sectors run with high debt, while others may have zero debt.

In my book, as long as the quick ratio and current ratio are higher than debt to equity and long-term debt to equity, it is good enough for me.

Without further ado, let’s take a look at the dividend increases and dividend cuts for the first 18 days of February 2022.

Dividend Increases

Dividend Decreases

The stock market will move up over time. However, that doesn’t mean we have to marry a stock forever. Some companies manipulate their books to look better than they should show, but that only lasts for so long until they can’t do it anymore. The best example for all investors was Enron. You can Google information on all the tricks they did until going bankrupt.

We can ride the ship up but should never ride it all the way down. We are not the captains of those ships. We are captains of our investment accounts, and that is all we care about now and in the future.

Stay vigilant and protect your capital.

Now, begin your Road to Wealth!

Leave your comment below. If you liked it, pay it forward. Please share it on social media and help others become successful as well. Your success will be the result of two things: Knowledge and Action.

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DISCLAIMER: Please read our disclosure policy here. This post contains affiliate links, and I earn from qualifying purchases at no cost to you. There is a very high degree of risk involved in trading. Past results are not indicative of future returns. Road-to-wealth.com and all individuals affiliated with this site assume no responsibilities for your trading and investment results. The indicators, strategies, columns, articles, and other features are for educational purposes only and should not be construed as investment advice. Information for any trading observations is obtained from sources believed to be reliable. Still, we do not warrant its completeness or accuracy or warrant any results from the use of the information. Your use of the trading observations is entirely at your own risk, and it is your sole responsibility to evaluate the information’s accuracy, completeness, and usefulness. You must assess the risk of any trade with your broker and make your own independent decisions regarding any securities mentioned herein.

New Year and You Are Doing This Again?

December 30, 2021December 30, 2021 by Road-to-wealth, posted in FINANCE / MONEY

The New Year is fast approaching. It will be here in less than 48 hours, and it’s that time of the year where everyone starts thinking about New Year’s resolutions. Are you there yet?

At the end of the article, go ahead and tell me in the comments below what you plan on improving in the new year. Are you looking forward to a better you in 2022? I am and will be sharing some of my resolutions with you all.

The most common goals are working out more and eating healthier. A percentage of you are also looking to start investing. Improving your finances is an excellent goal for a new and improved you in 2022.

Are you looking forward to focusing on your investing goals and improving your life and your family’s life? It’s possible, and you know it. And you see, many other average people do it all the time.

So, I ask you again, are you prepared to do the work to BECOME an investor? You know it doesn’t happen by itself.

Pepsico (PEP) moving up and steady in 2021.

I have mentioned this before, but as a reminder, all investors begin precisely at the same place, with no knowledge and no experience. Some are lucky to be born in a family with financial expertise, which is passed down at an early age. However, that doesn’t change that they still have to learn and put skin in the game to gain that experience. Others, like us, have to grind out that knowledge. As a result, we sacrifice countless hours, family time, fun times, and many other things. However, once we find our new knowledge, the most important thing is there is nothing to worry about once you teach family and friends what to do and when to do it. There is a strategy to the madness.

Some years become a dividing line in our lives—the life before and after a specific event. You often hear the negative, but there are positive events and years. You can make 2022 your year!

For me, Covid in 2020 was that year. What!? Joey, covid is still messing with all of my plans, and it’s 2021. Sure, mine too. But it was during that lockdown in 2020, I was able to analyze all of my trading systems and figure out which ones worked and the ones that didn’t. With a few tweaks, I headed to 2021 with full force. I have to say; it has been the best and most profitable year for me, my family, and friends have ever had. Yes, they copy my trades at their own risk, and you will be able to soon enough. Keep reading; you will understand.

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I want to share a few important things I learned in conjunction with my resolutions for 2022.

1. Patience – as the world goes through rough patches and keeps constantly changing, we need more patience than we have ever needed before. Things will never be the same, and we have to adapt and improve ourselves. That will also take patience; we won’t adapt and change in the blink of an eye.

2. Just shut off – as the world was shutting down, I took that time away from everyone and read books, analyzed my strategies, and most importantly, got closer with my family. It doesn’t matter what your job is and how important you think you are; once you are gone, they will replace you. You are an asset to them, but they can find another asset. Your family won’t. They can’t; there is only one of you. So be present and pay attention to what is important. Learn to shut off for them.

3. Life, Investing and Luck – you can put in the work, reading, studying, training, working, preparing in general. However, a positive outcome is not guaranteed. Ever! You will win some, and you will lose some. Understand that, and your life will be less stressful.

4. Be a Crane – no one can be a champion unless they play a one-person sport like golf, boxing, or tennis. And they still have coaches and a team behind them. You don’t have to do it by yourself in life and investing, but improving yourself is only 50% of the process. Once you are where you want to be, or at least close to it, ensure to be a Crane and lift others. You can’t scan the whole market by yourself or cover all the strategies, but you can have a team that works together. It doesn’t matter if they are family, friends, or people you meet on the internet. If we all row in the same direction, we will get where we want to be. That’s a Champion mentality.

5. Quality time – although it goes in hand with point 2 to shut off, just because you shut off doesn’t mean you are creating or having quality time with your loved ones. Sitting there staring at them with a pale face doesn’t count as quality time. Instead, have “dates” with your kids and spouse. Take days to go to their favorite places, as well as take days to go to yours. Remember to have a balance. That way, everyone is happy while you create life memories; together.

Facebook (FB), newly known as Meta has seen gains of nearly 200% in the last 5 years.

My new year’s resolutions are:

– I’m going to get back in great physical shape. Yes, I know! One of the most common ones, but I have neglected myself a little bit for far too long. I don’t do diets, strictly exercise. I may do some social media appearances. No promises, though.

– I will be a Crane and lift others. I plan on doing that by starting a YouTube channel. As a matter of fact, two channels. English and Spanish-speaking individuals are all invited. It has been brought up to me a million times before that most of my readers prefer short videos rather than reading articles. Well, your wish is my command. The new year will serve you well, and I’m working on the ins and outs of it. I will write about it once the channel is up and running.

– I will add 3 passive income sources. Also, encourage you to do the same. It could be with dividends, affiliate marketing, e-commerce, or any other way you prefer. It doesn’t matter. You choose what you are interested in doing because remember that it will take time and work initially, and you need to stick through thick and thin.

– I will make my life more fun by traveling more, creating new things that I never saw myself doing, helping others, and paying it forward.

I want you to be dreaming BIG, just like I’m doing right now. Twelve months seems like such a long time and no time at all. Either way, 2022 will come and go. So make this your year and take ACTION!

From my family to yours, Happy New Year!

Now, begin your Road to Wealth!

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Get This High Dividend Tobacco Company Cover Your Expenses

December 20, 2021December 30, 2021 by Road-to-wealth, posted in FINANCE / MONEY

There are all types of investments on the stock market, including tobacco companies. You can take advantage of the opportunity regardless of whether you smoke or not. If you smoke, I will show you how to make these companies pay for your fix. If you don’t smoke, don’t worry, I will show you just the same. The difference is that you will use the money for anything else you want and not for a pack of cigarettes or chewing tobacco.

The leading players are (MO) Altria Group Inc, (PM) Phillip Morris International Inc, and (BTI) British American Tobacco. We will cover (MO) and (PM) in another article; and will concentrate on (BTI) British American Tobacco.

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(BTI) British American Tobacco’s business has remained stable throughout 2020 and 2021. Currently, (as of Dec 14, 2021) trades for $36 and has a high dividend of 8.2%.

Looking under the hood, we see BTI has over 55,300 employees, making it a large and stable company. Their revenue growth is around 5%. The current (P/E) price to earnings is 10.27, making it a desirable investment and, to some extent, undervalued.

They have debt but nothing out of standard operating procedures. Enough cash to cover expenses, although I would much rather like to see a higher Quick Ratio (0.40) and Current Ratio (0.80). They do have excellent use of (P/FCF) Price to Free Cash Flow at 19.62. Trust me. I have seen much worse.

The margins are solid! Gross margin 83.40%, Operating Margin 38.10%, and Profit Margin 24.10%. And the Payout Ratio is a rounded 59%. Meaning they can keep on growing the dividend. Slowly but surely.

I expect the Net Debt / EBITDA ratio to return to its target range, leading to more capital returns in 2022. This includes share buybacks, and management is in support of this view.

Now, how do we get paid?

Before we begin, answer this question: Have you been smoking or chewing two packs a week for 12 years or more?

If you have, then know that you have given these companies the amount you needed for this investment to work, and you have nothing to show for, except for a set of dying lungs or gums. No judgment; you do what you want with your body. I used to chew tobacco, and my grandma still smokes. Do I wish she didn’t? And keep her on earth for a little longer, possibly? Yes, I do. However, she is an adult, and I respect her choices.

Note 1: If you smoke more than 2 packs a week, you reached this number in less than 12 years.

Note 2: Although I’m emphasizing smoking, you can run the numbers if you chew tobacco as well.

I will give you the formula to figure out the same thing with all your expenses.

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Here we go!

Using Texas numbers, a pack of cigarettes goes for $6.69 and adds taxes, and you pay $8.10. So, smoking 2 packs per week, you are spending around $16.20 p/week. Let’s round that to a month, and we get $64.80. That is how much you spend monthly in Texas when you smoke 2 packs per week.

BTI pays a Quarterly Dividend, so we will multiply $64.80 * 3 and come to figure out that you are spending $194.40 in tobacco products every three months.

At the current $36 price and a dividend payout of $0.745, you will need 261 shares; or an investment of $9,396.

Remember! You have probably already given this much money to tobacco companies and didn’t even realize it. However, we will do one better. We will begin investing in these companies and begin to collect dividends.

NO! You don’t need this amount to begin. There are plenty of ways you can go about this.

Let’s cover a few ideas:

1. Every time you buy a pack, you need to deposit the exact amount you spent on your investment account. If you don’t have enough money to do both, you shouldn’t spend your money on something that won’t benefit you or your health.

2. Set automatic deposits, either weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly, equal to or greater than the amount you spend on this product.

3. Pay as a lump sum. I know it’s less likely that you will have this amount of money laying around doing nothing, but you never know.

Bonus 1:

Don’t waste time receiving the dividend in cash and buying shares manually. Instead, verify how to set up a (DRIP) Dividend Reinvestment Plan with your broker. The system will automatically invest your dividend on your dividend-paying stock, and you don’t have to move a finger.

Bonus 2:

Once you reach 100 shares on the same stock, learn how to sell cover calls. It is a great income strategy and will help you reach your goals quicker.

Note 3:

We will begin two YouTube channels in 2022. An English as well as a Spanish channel. We will go over all these strategies, and you can learn and implement them for yourself. Stay tuned!

Summary:

You can research a dividend-paying stock of your liking and follow the steps above. Then, when you reach your goal, turn off the DRIP and begin collecting the dividends in cash to do whatever you want to do with your money. For example, you can have the company pay for your tobacco expenses or non-smokers; you can use this money to do as you please.

Now, begin your Road to Wealth!

Follow me on TWITTER, PINTEREST, INSTAGRAM, LINKEDIN, FACEBOOK for more posts and updates. You can also reach me here with any questions.

HOW TO BUILD AN EASY, S.M.A.R.T. BUDGET

April 13, 2019October 14, 2019 by Road-to-wealth, posted in FINANCE / MONEY

“Don’t underestimate the power of consistency and desire” – Unknown.

DISCLAIMER: Links in this post may contain affiliate links. Honesty above all. Please read our disclosure policy here.

My friends! We have a simple goal here, and the goal is to become rich, not just look rich. So, how do we get there? Well, you have to put your money to work for you. In order to do that, you need to ensure that every single cent that you receive as income has a job to do.

But Joey, what does that mean? It means that you have to prepare a plan, follow that plan and tweak it as necessary. If you still don’t understand or don’t know how to budget, don’t be ashamed. You are not alone!

What I learned from wealthy friends is, they know how much they will make, they know how much has to go towards paying the bills. They also know how much they want to save and invest. Finally, they know how much they will have for fun. Yes, when you prepare your budget, ensure to account for some fun and entertainment too.

Let’s begin with the basics. Before we draw our map, we need to understand what we are doing. We will definitely not learn this on Instagram or Twitter. You have several options. If you know Excel, you can do this a lot quicker than most since the formulas will help you automate the results. If you are not tech-savvy, then you can write it on paper and will probably need a calculator to plug in the numbers and results.

What is a S.M.A.R.T. budget? It is an easy acronym that helps you remember what is important when you are planning and preparing your budget.

Specific – you need to be specific with your financial goal and know what do you want to do with your money. That includes the short term (buying something now) and long term (plans for retirement).

Measurable – as you go, you want to see your progress. That is how you will know if you need to step it up or just keep going with the flow. It will also help you see if you overspent or underspent and where.

Achievable – In order for your budget to be successful, it needs to be achievable. If necessary, you can examine your budget at the end of the month to compare your projected numbers against your actual numbers. Make adjustments as you go and if necessary.

Realistic – you need to be honest. For example, you plan to spend $20 eating out at your favorite restaurants but you know you like to order Dominos, take friends or family to Burger King and pay for them, and end up at the Chinese buffet to end the week. Know your tendencies and patterns.

Time-oriented – In order to achieve your financial goals and meet your timeline, you need to break down the big goals into small steps that will gradually take you to where you want to be.

Now that you have a better understanding of what a SMART budget is, know that making your budget is just the first step. You need to keep planning. Discipline and perseverance will help you sustain it and improve it.

Few tricks to making a budget that works are:

* Ensure every penny of your income has a job to do. If you don’t account for every cent you make and don’t give it a job before you even receive it, that penny will find a place to land and most likely will not be where you want.

* Do not charge your credit cards more than you can afford. A big problem is that many of us use our credit cards when we already used up all of our cash. But we are wrong. The right way to use a credit card is having the funds available in your account. That way it won’t hurt you when it’s time to pay off your card. A rule you can use is the rule of 7. When you are tempted to buy something, wait 7 days. Then ask yourself again if you still want it. More than likely you won’t.

* Review your budget several times for adjustments. You want to have this budget ready before you get paid. Do not wait until you start paying your bills, or your money will have control over you instead of the other way around. It is essential that you sit down, review your budget and make adjustments. Stay on top of your game. The great MLB hitters are the ones that prepare for the pitcher they will face. They don’t wait until the pitcher is on the mount to ask for a scouting report.

* Know how much money you have at all times. Staying with the MLB analogy, life is great at throwing us curve balls. We need to know what we have in order to prepare for the unexpected things that happen every month.

* Always track your spending. Your rent, car loan, and some other bills rarely change. We know we won’t overspend there. But dining out, buying groceries, buying on vending machines at school or work can throw us off. By the way, get cashback and great offers in groceries with Ibotta. Just register for free and see how much you will save each month.

Without further ado, let’s see how a budget should look like. At the beginning of the month, we use projected numbers but at the end of the month we use actual numbers to know what adjustments are needed.

Let’s begin with:

Projected income:

All of your income, paycheck, wages or whatever and add any extra income you make, like answering surveys online, washing cars, paint houses, cut grass, etc.

Projected Housing expenses:

Mortgage / Rent, Phone, Electricity, Gas, Water and sewer, cable/internet, waste removal, maintenance or repairs, supplies, other

Projected Loans:

Personal loans, student loans, credit cards, etc.

Projected transportation expenses:

Vehicle payment, insurance, gas, maintenance, other.

Projected savings:

Savings will vary by individual needs. You can use a percentage of your income. If you choose that option, then do this step first before anything. Another option is to use a specific amount. Option three is taking an amount from what is left after paying all bills.

Projected entertainment:

Movies, concerts, sporting events, other.

Projected balance:

This is what you projected as your income and subtract all the expenses and savings. Ensure this number is positive. This is the amount that you will have left for your personal use or whatever you decide to spend it on.

Tools used to aid with budgeting:

Acorns – automated savings, investing and cashback rewards, rolled into one. Just $1 monthly fee. (full report)

Credit Sesame – raise your credit score and follow their tips. You will be able to get lower rates in future loans, hence pay less and save money. (full report)

Fundrise – easiest way to save and grow your money while becoming a landlord without the hassle. The best part is you can start with only $500. (full report)

Gabi – is a service that will help you find the lowest price you can find for your car insurance. I saved $936 when I switched. And it took me no more than 10 minutes. (full report)

Ibotta – Save on groceries, get offers and rewards every week. Bonuses and cashback. (full report)

Inboxdollars – watch videos, answer surveys, search the web, get paid, transfer to your paypal account. I use it for extra income (full report)

Lucktastic – extra income, scratch digital lottery tickets, join different contests to win free groceries, free gas, or cash. (full report)

Swagbucks – extra income, get paid to watch videos, search the web, answer surveys and much, much more. (full report)

LendingClub – is my number one (#1) choice to save, and grow your money substantially. But, it is restricted to the United States and some states can’t invest either. Cross your fingers your state is in and not out. Also, you will need some money saved to begin. In order to get all the bonuses, you need to begin with $5,000. If you don’t want the bonuses, it is recommended you begin with half of that. (full report)

Paribus – will verify your emails, keep track of the price you paid for items and get your money back when the item’s price drops. Also, can get you compensated when your shipment is late. Everything while you sleep or go about your day. (full report)

Robinhood – my number one platform for trading. Commission-free and simple. Plus get a free stock like Amazon or Coca Cola when you sign up. (full report)

S’more – easy extra income, download to your phone, get paid every morning when you unlock your phone. Get extra points when you watch videos or complete surveys. Redeem prices. (full report)

Sweatcoin – more extra income, download to your phone, get paid to walk outside your house or building. The idea is to give incentives to individuals while helping them to get or stay in shape. (full report)

Truebill – save on monthly bills and stop overpaying for them too. This app will search for refunds and it will also negotiate on your behalf to get better deals. (full report)

Wish.com – Is my favorite site to buy items coming from China, cutting the middle man out of the picture. Cheaper than eBay, Amazon, Walmart, you name it. Use code: PJXXZYH (full report)

I will leave you with a picture so you know what it needs to look like. At the beginning of the month is going to be projected, but ensure that you keep track of your numbers throughout the month and do it again at the end of the month with your actual numbers. That is how you know, what type of adjustments you have to make. Also, modify it as necessary. Everyone’s circumstances are different.

I hope it helps! Leave your comment below.

Remember, it’s all about the road to wealth. If you liked it, pay it forward. Don’t forget to share it on social media and help others become successful as well. There is plenty of room for all of us. In the end, your success will only depend on you and not what others do.

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If you have any questions, you can reach me at questions@road-to-wealth.com